I've seen this book as well. Weirdly, though, my sisters and I each had an elf that we put way back into the branches of the Christmas tree each year. They were made of felt and looked almost exactly like your Francis. And that was in the sixties and seventies! I bought each of my three children an elf years ago and it's become a tradition for them as well.

We have Felix. He keeps forgeting to go to the North Pole to report and the kids find him sleeping in the same place. With those rosy cheeks, and all that forgeting to do his job, I am convinced his been hitting the egg nog a little too hard. I think it might be time for Santa to have an intervention.

We had elves like that in the early 70's. Their fabric was shiny and some were the size of yours and some were smaller. They were perched on frames or the mantel, and would move around from day to day.